Return To Me
by awayinarendelle
Summary: Elsa struggles to let love and friendship in because of her secret and her fear of hurting those around her. But Tadashi, his friends, and her sister are just as stubborn as she is. This is a story about love, friendship, forgiveness, and freedom. Enjoy.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** And here's an update. :) This is part one out of _three._ So I guess you can say this whole story is becoming some sort of multi chapter? Perhaps. And yes, "the reveal" is about to take place soon.

 **Part I out of III.**

* * *

 _If you would come back home,_  
 _we could start all over_  
 _If you would come back home,_  
 _I swear it would be better_

 _There's room left in the house,_  
 _there's food still in the pantry_  
 _I could fix you lunch or take you out for coffee_

 _Call the surgeon, mend the pieces_  
 **  
Now Playing: William Fitzsimmons /** ** _If You Would Come Back Home_**

* * *

"Are you sure about this?" ** _  
_**

A tired and hollow sigh can be heard by the windowsill. "I'm sure. You've asked me like, ten times already."

"What if it doesn't work out?" Sad brown eyes followed the figure that started to pace back forth across the room. He was used to seeing her antsy and moving all the time, but not like this. She has been uncharacteristically somber for months, and he didn't know how to remedy the inner turmoil that continued to plague her.

She has been absent-minded and distracted lately to the point where he no longer knew whether he could reach out to her or not. He felt like he was losing her little by little each day. Yes, she laughed and smiled, but they seemed out of politeness for they never reached her eyes anymore. Downcast. She has been downcast and broken, but she continued to face each day with her false bravado and fragile optimism.

But he knew better.

And he knew there was only thing—one person—who can fix this and it wasn't him.

"Then I'll try again," she replied quietly, breaking through his melancholy stupor.

It was his turn to sigh this time. He was leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, carefully watching her, his eyebrows narrowing with apprehension.

"Do you want me to come with you?"

She shook her head a lit bit too vigorously. "No. I have to do this on my own."

He straightened his back and took seven careful steps toward her. Left. Right. Left. Right. Once they were facing each other, she smiled at him before snaking her arms around his neck.

"I love you so much, you know that right?" She asked, sincere green eyes searching his face. His heart skipped a beat in reply. If there was one thing he knew to be true and unwavering, it was Anna Arendelle's love for him. He never questioned that. He never will.

Kristoff returned her smile as he coiled his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him. "I know, and I love _you_ ," he murmured under his breath, legs weakening at the sight of her inches away from his face. She craned her neck and brushed her lips against his, softly yet firmly. Gently, but not so much. Kristoff raised his hands to cradle her jaw, angling her face so he can deepen the kiss. They stood like that for a while, their lips colliding with each other rhythmically without missing a beat.

Anna slid her hands up Kristoff's face, gently pulling away from the kiss. He followed her cue without objection. He squared his shoulders but his hands were still resting on Anna's hips, careful not to let them wander in indecent places.

Anna stared at him apologetically. "I have to pack my stuff. Wanna come help me?"

"Of course," he replied before pecking her lips. "But—it's just that—" A flash of worry clouded his eyes, and Anna caught it right before it disappeared. She rested her hand on his face, quietly urging him to continue on.

Kristoff untangled himself from her and crossed his arms again, returning to his post by the main door entrance. "What if Elsa doesn't wanna see you? What if you guys just end up fighting?"

Anna raised a defiant brow and crossed her arms, mimicking her boyfriend. "Then we'll fight. It's about time that we fought. She's always avoiding me—the problem—whatever it is. And you know what? I'm gonna find her and she'll have no choice but to talk to me."

Kristof couldn't help but smirk. He sauntered back to where he was standing until he was towering over her. "Really? You're really gonna do that?" he challenged.

Anna's face fell as she remembered how foolish and overly _hopeful_ she sounded. "Well, we do need to talk. It's been a while—it's been _years_ and I…I really miss her, Kristoff," she trailed off, green eyes slowly turning dark with sadness.

He wanted to kick himself for being tactless. "Hey, I'm just kidding," he said guiltily. "I have faith in you. You never know—maybe the one thing she wants the most is to see you, too."

Anna chuckled dryly. "Maybe. The last time I went there without Elsa knowing, her friend Tadashi helped me. I'll call him later and I'll let him know that I'll be coming back." Kristoff stretched out his arms and embraced her protectively. He nuzzled her neck and kissed her cheek. "As long as you're okay, then I'll be okay," he said while looking at her with a calm expression.

His worries had started to fade away after realizing his girlfriend was the bravest person he knew. He had underestimated her, momentarily forgetting that she has been dealing with the same predicament since she was five years old. She didn't need him around to discourage her from the one thing she wanted the most—reconciliation with her sister.

All he ever wanted was for her to be at peace and happy. And if that meant letting her leave by herself to fight her battle alone as she had requested, he was willing to let her do that. Though fretful and unsure of how the outcome would play out, he knew Anna could handle whatever storm may come her way.

"What's your itinerary again?" Kristoff suddenly asked, mentally noting to take off from work and find someone who would look after his dog, Sven, so he can send her off.

Anna hummed as she searched her mind for her flight's details. "Charles Muntz International Airport, Business Class, direct flight—" she recited, still missing the crucial part of the information she and Kristoff needed.

The blond man interrupted her. "Muntz? Anna, you own _three_ private planes. Can't you just use one of them instead of dealing with other people?"

"I want to be with actual, real-life people, Kristoff," she said while tucking her hair behind her ear, "And they're not mine. They were Papa and Mama's—there's only two now because—well…the other one crashed," she said the last word in an almost whisper, remembering her parents' sudden and unfortunate demise.

"I-I'm sorry," Kristoff stammered, suddenly desperate to change the topic, "Well, yes, I can drop you off at Muntz. But do you know when exactly?"

Anna shot her boyfriend a grateful smile for not arguing with her about her flight arrangements. Kristoff was stubborn, but he was not insensitive. He knew Anna did not like remembering what happened to her parents, especially at this time of year, and he made it his personal mission to somehow lessen the pain she was going through.

"Oh! I remember now!" Anna piped up.

Kristoff quirked a brow. "What?"

The redhead took in a sharp intake of breath. Her excitement was tinged with a slight touch of trepidation.

"Christmas Eve. My flight to San Fransokyo is on Christmas Eve."

* * *

"Excuse me, but—aaahhh—ahhhh— _choooo!"_

A blast of flurries sprinkled her desk as she struggled to type her notes up on her laptop. It was that dreadful time of the year again, and she had refused to get a flu shot in fears of panicking and freezing the campus clinic. She hated needles as much as she hated winter.

Puffy-eyed, red-nosed, feverish, and absolutely miserable, Elsa slouched on her desk and forced herself to focus on her lab partner's voice. They had a project due before Winter Break, and Elsa refused to meet up with said lab partner because of very obvious reasons.

Instead, she locked herself in her room, opting to somehow remedy her flu. She stacked her pantry with Benadryl, Tylenol, boxes of chicken noodle soup and everything else she found necessary to quicken her recovery. It has been three days since she last went to class, but thankfully, Callaghan was very understanding of her situation and had his lectures video recorded and sent to her.

"Uhm—Elsa, are you okay?" Tadashi asked on the other side of the phone, masking the concern in his voice. He tried to sound casual—apathetic—but he couldn't help but wonder how Elsa was doing considering he had not seen her in days.

 _She sounds bad. Really bad._

Elsa waved a dismissive hand, forgetting Tadashi would not be able to see her. She had him on speakerphone. It would've been easier if they conversed using video chat, but the last thing Elsa wanted to do was cough up a storm—a snowstorm—in front of Tadashi.

For as long as she could remember, the only people that were allowed to visit her when she was sick were her parents. They knew what to do. They knew how to calm her down. Even though she had already forgotten her mother's touch and how it felt to be touched, the sight of her parents being in the same room with her, watching over her as she rested, was enough to help her rejuvenate.

Her parents kept her company. And that somehow—for just a little bit—helped her not miss Anna so much.

Even though her refusal to be held and touched pained her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Arendelle respected their daughter and refrained from forcing her to do things that may trigger her anxiety and fears.

Agdar and Idun wanted to hold their daughter in their arms—but Elsa kept them at arm's length, desperately trying hard to protect them from herself.

One of the things Elsa regretted the most was the fact that she never had the chance to hug them or say "I love you" before they died. Another memory to add to her abundant list of things to hate about her existence.

"I'm fine, thank you. I've taken my meds earlier so I should be fine and—and— _ahhhh—chooooo!_

Tadashi cringed and slightly drew his phone away from his ear. "Are you sure? I can just ask Callaghan for an extension, I'm sure he'll understand. You can't— "

Elsa shook her head stubbornly, forgetting once again that the other person could not see her. She wiped her nose on a piece of tissue. "No, we have to finish this. We only have five more questions to go. Wanna go over that Inverse Kinematics of Planar Mechanisms summary?"

 _She's so stubborn._ Tadashi suppressed a sigh and tried to deviate his attention back to his notebook. Although he was happy to have Elsa on the phone with him, it wasn't exactly a conversation one would call romantic.

Number one, the object of his affection had already rejected him, and number two, they were strictly talking about their report. That was it—plus the coughing and sneezing that was coming from Elsa's side of the line. He shook his head and pressed a finger on his notebook, tracing his messy scribbles and the numbers jotted all over the place.

"Right. Okay, so, all we have to do is find the joint displacements that lead the end-effecter to a specified position and orientation, but the thing is—"

"Yeah that'll be easy. We can just maneuver the— _ahhhhhh—CHOOOOO!_ " Elsa had to place her phone back on the desk for she had started to have a coughing fit. She gripped the armrest of her chair, struggling to breathe as she felt her insides thrash back and forth against her ribs. Her abdominals clenched in pain, her chest heaving and pounding from the force of her coughing.

As if seeing what was taking place, Tadashi immediately stood up from his seat and pushed his phone closer to his ear. His brow notched in a frown and he cupped his mouth with a hand, listening intently. Elsa continued to cough and wheeze aggressively like she was choking on something, and Tadashi's worry multiplied. Elsa left her phone on the table and walked away, as Tadashi suspected, because he can only hear her from a distance.

It took a few minutes before Elsa regained her composure. "Tadashi? Are you still there?" She asked in a wobbly voice. "I'm sorry about that, if you want, I can just do the whole report by myself and—"

"Do the _whole_ report by yourself?" Tadashi asked incredulously. "Elsa, are you hearing yourself right now? You sound _horrible._ If anything, I should be the one doing this part of the report since it is, after all, _my_ part."

Elsa swept her bangs to the side, bit her lower lip, and frowned. "I know, but it'll be more efficient if we add more points to it," she argued, pushing the nagging thought lurking behind her head that screamed the possibility that she may be prolonging this project because she wanted to spend time with him. "I just want to make sure everything is perfect for the presentation," she said quietly, confused by the sudden warmness that spread throughout her face.

"God, you're such a perfectionist," Tadashi muttered. "If you don't want to rest, then _I'm coming over._ Whatever it is that you're doing to make yourself feel better is obviously not working, and—you're right—we need to finish this project," he exclaimed sternly, not faltering or tripping over his words per usual whenever he talked to her. Quite honestly, he didn't care much for this report, but he needed it as an incentive to convince Elsa to let him see her.

His sudden boldness surprised him, but there was no taking what he said back now. He knew she would reject him and make up a thousand excuses not to see him, but he _missed_ her—and he really wanted to get this assignment over with so he can help his Aunt Cass' plan her Christmas dinner.

Elsa's eyes widened and she felt herself biting the tip of her tongue. "No," she said tonelessly and almost too mechanically, "I-I mean, you can't come over. I'm contagious and you're just gonna get sick." For once, her words did not contradict her thoughts. Everything that she said was true; she was deathly ill, and getting Tadashi sick just in time for their presentation wasn't exactly suitable and convenient.

 _Here we go._ Tadashi rolled his eyes, thankful the blonde could not see him. "Elsa, I can wear a mask or something. I had my flu shot a month ago, I should be good."

"I still don't think it's a good idea."

Tadashi rubbed the back of his neck. He suspected Elsa was thinking of the last time he came over to her apartment—it was the night he confessed his feelings for her and was rejected big time. It has been five weeks since that night, and he found ways to nurse his wounds by pretending he wasn't devastated by her unreciprocated affections.

He still chose to be her friend. He never acted awkward around her—well he tried. _Trying._ And he never really did give up on her, either. He tucked his scarred heart inside his pocket and continued to act normal around her. Whatever that meant.

Elsa didn't want him to be anything else but her friend. And he can give her that.

"Elsa, I know you haven't been eating well. Can I just bring you some soup? Please?" Tadashi implored her softly and gripped his phone a little bit tighter.

"And if you're really worried about getting me sick, you can just close the door and I'll sit outside. We can talk about our report through that little slit from under it or something," he suggested, hoping what he said made sense.

And it did. What he said made perfect sense. And it stung.

The face of her sister, Anna, flashed across her mind and she found herself clutching at her chest. Her sister was always on the opposite side of her door; begging her, crying out to her, waiting for her—and she could do nothing but muffle her own weeping with her pillow, desperately praying for her sister to leave—no, stay—no leave. Stay. Leave. Stay. Leave. Stay.

She wanted to set herself on fire at the thought of Tadashi mimicking Anna's attempts to reach out to her through that damn door and its damn slit.

Elsa took in a controlled, even breath. "Fine, you can come over," she mumbled as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "You don't have to bring a mask, I have an extra one here that I took from the lab."

Tadashi's eyebrows shot up to this hairline. "That's great," he squeaked, then cringed for sounding a little bit too excited. He coughed, pretending to clear his throat, and tried again. "That's great. I'll be there in an hour. I'll see you then—bye." He didn't want to hang up, but he didn't want to waste time either. He was finally seeing her, and that was all that mattered.

"Bye," she whispered, grinning by the barest bit upon catching that slight hitch in Tadashi's voice.

Elsa looked around her room and found relief when she saw the surroundings in tact and free of frost. Her medication had started to kick in, and she prayed that this would help suppress her sneezes and coughing galore. She sighed and rubbed the sides of her head with her eyes closed. The steady drumming of her heart echoed through her ears and she felt a surge of warmth rising from the pit of her stomach to her chest.

She wasn't sure if it was Tadashi's voice that sparked that comforting feeling, or her own growing excitement radiating from the corners of heart for what was about to take place.

 _I miss you._

She whimpered, forcing her mind to banish that thought away.

* * *

 _Breathe. Just breathe._

Elsa stood in front of mirror trying to calm her tense nerves after realizing what she had agreed to. Anticipation turned into confusion and anxiety—as if she didn't have enough of those as is.

 _It's going to be fine. We're just working on this project like we did in the past._

She washed her face once more time and tried to clean the nagging feeling of sickness and exhaustion from her skin, hoping Tadashi wouldn't be so worried when he sees her… She started to wonder if the redness on her face and the weakness on her limbs were from her intense fever that only got worse by the minute, or from blushing profusely while conversing with Tadashi just a few moments ago.

 _No. I can't have these thoughts throw me off again. Not anymore._

Against her body's protest, she dragged herself to the kitchen to tidy up although her countertop and everything that surrounded her room was nothing short of spotless. She sighed when she saw there was nothing to be done so she looked to her study section. The bookshelf next to her desk stood tall, the books on it meticulously arranged in alphabetical and genre order. The bed adjacent to it was made perfectly, as if no one had ever slept on it before. Convinced that everything was presentable, she walked to her dresser and pulled out the first sweater she could find.

The one that caught her attention was an oversized, teal colored sweater that once belonged to Anna.

She never condoned _stealing_ or borrowing another person's item without asking—but before leaving Norway, she managed to sneak into Anna's room, stroke her sleeping sister's forehead for a brief second, and take her sweater with her to keep herself safe and warm for the many nights of crying that she knew she would have to endure later on.

She was greedy. Anna had given her a hoodie a few years ago as a birthday present; but something she knew Anna had worn before gave her a sense of comfort—she made herself believe that Anna was hugging her and holding her whenever she would wear her sweater.

Elsa pulled the sacred article of clothing down over her head, simultaneously wondering what her sister was up to and if she finally realized that her sweater was missing. Before her mind can wander off to thoughts of her sister's childhood that she ruined, a soft knock interrupted her, alerting her of Tadashi's arrival.

The blonde warily ran her hands down her face, ignoring the heat permeating from her skin. She was burning up once again and a sharp flash of pain speared through her head, causing her to shut her eyes in agony. Her joints had started to ache once more and the tightness in her chest became heavier. She gathered whatever fleeting strength she had left and took in a breath and forced herself to open her eyes, determined to finish their project. Though it was only a few steps, Elsa struggled to reach the door as her legs screamed in disagreement. Finally reaching the doorknob, she turned it, opened the door, and was greeted by a familiar smiling face.

 _Breathe. You can do this._

"Hi, Elsa," Tadashi said cheerfully, a container of freshly cooked soup in hand. The boy donned a brown cardigan over a white shirt, a black messenger bag on his shoulder, and his usual San Fransokyo baseball hat. The corners of Elsa's lips rose into a close-mouthed smile while she opened her door wider, gesturing for him to come inside. It _irked_ her, these droplets of happiness slowly raining down on her upon seeing him for the first time in days. But he was there. She was there. And they agreed to meet up for their project and that was that.

"Hey," Elsa acknowledged him, her voice thick with exhaustion and hoarse from coughing. Tadashi noticed that her usually luminous blue eyes were glazed over. If they were guarded or reflecting the sickness she was currently feeling physically, it was hard for Tadashi to tell. Although her bangs were framing the sides of her face, Tadashi still noticed the blotch of red staining her cheeks. Once they were inside the room, Elsa gently pushed the door behind her and rested her back against it.

Tadashi forced himself to peel his eyes away from Elsa by casually turning his head to look around the room. "Nice place you got here. It's—clean," he winced, wanting to kick himself for his plain and asinine statement.

The room was perfect, organized, and carefully designed with a few paintings hanging on the wall—suggesting the owner has an eye for art. He could've said more, but he was distracted by the way Elsa looked standing by her door, arms wrapped around her sides like she was struggling to stand up in place.

"Thank you," she said, forcing a chuckle. "I try to keep it—clean," she trailed off, immediately knowing the heat that crept up to her face was not produced by her fever.

Tadashi opened his mouth, closed it, and opened it again. Awkwardness was starting to slowly drape itself over them, and it was only made worse when Tadashi shifted and almost spilled the soup he was holding.

"Is that the soup that you said you were going to bring?" Elsa inquired, trying to lessen the growing tension. She pointed at the container, prompting Tadashi to look at it, too, as if he didn't know what it was that he was holding.

"Oh, yeah. Aunt Cass made it. It's miso soup." Tadashi swallowed hard when Elsa started to approach him, her eyes curiously inspecting the object in his hand. He carefully lifted the container for her to reach when suddenly, Elsa stopped dead in her tracks, hand trembling and shooting up to her head.

"Elsa, are you okay?" Tadashi's forehead wrinkled with worry as he watched Elsa press _both_ of her hands against the sides of her head with force. He immediately bent down to place the soup and his bag aside, his heart beating faster by the second.

Elsa tried to wave him off. "I'm fine, I just—it's just—a headache," she replied weakly, the look in her eyes growing distant. Tadashi stared at her askance, breaching her personal space by moving a few inches closer to her. Elsa's legs were weakening, and she was starting to lose control of her own body because her fever had spiked tremendously with a vengeance.

"I don't think you're okay. I think you should sit down," he instructed gently, hands hovering in front of her. "Elsa, you really need to rest. I'm going to call Callaghan for an extension. Everything will work out, okay?"

Her eyes were half-lidded and she wobbled clumsily like a building about to crumble. "I'm really fine. Just give me a moment to collect myself and we can—"

A jolt of pain burrowed through her head, causing her legs to finally fail her. The last thing she heard was Tadashi's panicked voice calling out her name over and over again. She caught glimpses of his face and felt him catch her in his arms as she collapsed, wanting so badly to touch his forehead and brush away the lines of concern staining his features.

But before another breath can escape her, everything went black.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Here's an update!

And yes, this is _not_ solely Tadelsa-centric. But I think it gets better. :)

 **Part II out of III.**

* * *

The time that it took writing words for my book seems to have broken off  
The gate that I shut last time I got hurt s eems to have opened itself

Oh the world is spinnin' now , it's tryna catch me up  
Tell me to appreciate, here and now  
I'm sorry but I meant to say many things along the way  
This ones for you:

Have I told you I ache , have I told you I ache ?  
Have I told you I ache, for you?

 **Now Playing: James Carrington / Ache**

* * *

Unconscious.

Elsa's lips were slightly parted and her eyes were shut under long lashes. She resembled a young child in tranquil slumber, detached from the world around her—detached from Tadashi who was holding her in his arms. But he knew her sleep wasn't produced blissfully. His mind spun with frenzy and uneasiness while helplessly cradling her.

"Elsa, please wake up," he pleaded, his face ghosting only a few breaths away from hers. But the sound of Elsa inhaling and exhaling air served as his only reply. She was warm under his touch, the back of her neck buried against the crook of his arm. The heat that was radiating from Elsa's skin caused him to frown deeply, prompting him to scan the room for a nearby phone. He carefully fumbled through his back pocket to try and locate his, but there was nothing there.

 _She needs to go to the hospital now. Right now. Where the hell is my phone?_

His heart sank when he realized he had left it inside Aunt Cass' car in his hurry to get to her apartment. Desperate and worried sick, he made a decision to bring Elsa to her bed and seek help down the hall where Wasabi resided. He sighed in resignation and repositioned himself in a kneeling position, carefully hoisting himself up, his arms flexing as they carefully lifted Elsa. Carrying her required little to no effort at all for she was feather-light, unresisting and limp in his arms.

Tadashi had always dreamt of holding her, but not like this. Not when she was knocked out senseless and with him not knowing how much pain she was in. A few strands of her hair fell over her eye-lids when he straightened his back against her weight, and Tadashi lifted a hesitant finger to push them away to the side. He paused for a few moments to study the explosion of light-colored freckles across her nose, finding himself mildly lost in awe of how beautiful she was. For a moment, he just stared at her, curious of what her dreams consisted of and if she could somehow see him in it. And for a second—just a second—his eyes travelled around her lips and he wondered how it would be like to—

He shook his head to rid his mind of those idle musings. Now was not the time to daydream. Not now. Not ever. Not about those things.

It almost felt illegal to unfurl her blankets. Perfectly pressed with the corners tucked to the sides in a military-school like manner, Tadashi lowered Elsa on her bed in the gentlest way possible. Relief washed over him when Elsa finally showed signs of life by tucking her hands under her chin and arching her body in a fetal position. Tadashi's features softened as he released a small sigh. He plopped himself on the bed amiably, leaving just enough room for personal space, and lifted the blanket over her.

His friend looked so frail and so little as she drowned under the huge comforter. The only thing left of her that was visible was her crown of blonde hair and a pink ear poking out of the sheets. A passing twinge of jealousy infiltrated Tadashi's bearings while he looked on to her and the blankets covering her…he wished it had been him that kept her warm instead. And again, he rebuked himself silently for his brain's reckless and impossible ideations.

Instead of dwelling in those thoughts, he made himself useful by bending over and pressing two fingers against Elsa's carotid artery. He palpated the side of her neck, just below her jaw, to assess her heartbeat—it was bounding and steady, much to his relief.

 _Okay. At least she's moving now and her heart is stable. That's a good sign._

 _Now what?_

Tadashi shot Elsa a wary look before tiptoeing toward her door to find Wasabi.

*****  
"Damn it all, why won't you just budge?"

Deft hands scrambled around the miniature bot, purposely trying to replace a loose wire that exploded from the previous night. Hiro Hamada scrutinized his invention without missing a detail. The youngest Hamada brother was a prodigy in robotics engineering with a number of credentials under his name; one boasting of being the youngest in his age in all of San Fransokyo that have effortlessly nailed a record breaking IQ test.

But unlike his overachieving brother, Hiro remained stagnant and shied away from furthering his studies. Convinced that he knew better and didn't need college to pursue his dreams of being a renowned inventor, Hiro stubbornly refused scholarship offers from various universities, much to Tadashi and Aunt Cass' dismay. But his older brother had faith in him: he believed Hiro would soon realize what he was missing out on and enroll himself in a school eventually. It was only a matter of time…with lots of nagging and persuasion.

"I just need to connect this wire and I'm done," the fourteen-year-old mumbled under his breath, screwdriver in hand as he worked meticulously on the machine sprawled on his desk. "I think I'll just cut this part and replace it with another—"

Genius ideations were interrupted by the sudden ringing of his phone. Hiro pretended not to have heard it, assuming it was Tadashi calling to check on him even though they had just spoken less than an hour ago.

Hiro rolled his eyes. "I'm home, Tadashi. You don't need to worry. I won't go bot-fighting later…since my bot is currently broken," he explained to the ringing object without so much as a glance, talking to it as if it were his brother. "Stop being such a spaz, big bro," he complained under his breath before returning his attention back to his robot. When the ringing didn't stop, Hiro raised his hands and let out a frustrated growl.

He reluctantly shifted to the side to finally take notice of his phone, but much to his surprise, the name that blared through his screen wasn't Tadashi's name. A smile started to stretch from his face and he quickly dropped his screw driver to pick up the call.

"Glad to know you're alive," he greeted without a 'hello', "I almost felt like you were ignoring me."

The other side of the line buzzed with activity. The shuffling of feet and indistinct chattering can be heard, accompanied by a light static that was caused by weak cellular reception. But the caller's voice cut through the background noise loud and clear without faltering.

"I miss you! I'm so sorry I wasn't able to call you last week!" Hiro could hear the regret and sincerity in her voice and nodded understandingly. "But I have great news that's why I called! Is Tadashi there with you?"

Hiro rolled his eyes again. "No, he's probably out with the nerds or with Elsa. And I miss you, too."

A beat.

"Elsa?"

Hiro nodded. "Yeeep. I think he's hanging out with her or something. But anyway, what's the great news?"

There was a pause, causing Hiro to raise a brow. "Hey, are you still there?"

"Uhm—yeah. Sorry about that. I just walked in the bathroom so there'll be less noise—I was just in a company meeting."

"Boring. So what were you gonna tell me?"

"Right. Okay so—I'm coming to visit San Fransokyo!"

Hiro stood abruptly from his seat, eyes brimming with excitement over Anna's announcement. "Really? When?"

"In a few days!" The voice on the other line sounded just as excited. Hiro did a small happy dance that he copied from Tadashi when he saw him do it after successfully building his first robot prototype.

"You're coming over for our Christmas dinner. This is gonna be great!"

"Well…of course I'll come if you invite me! I really want to hang out with you and Tadashi!"

Hiro could've sworn his face was going to split apart from his hundred-watt grin. "Of course I'm inviting you! Christmas Eve, at our house—no excuses!"

"I'll be there! But I have to go now—the meeting is about to start again."

"Right, right. I'll see you soon, Anna!"

Anna couldn't help but giggle at the boy's excitement. The two became good friends when she visited San Fransokyo a few months back. They clicked immediately, and it surprised Tadashi to see his brother interacting with Anna they way he did—he has never seen him so social and lively around other people except with him and Aunt Cass. But upon meeting Anna Arendelle, Hiro seemed to have found another older sibling—which Tadashi did not mind one bit because he once imagined marrying Elsa one day, automatically making Anna a member of the family, too.

He never disclosed this fantasy to anyone because he was once again letting his impossible reveries get the best of him; but he was genuinely pleased with Anna and Hiro's camaraderie. He liked Anna from the very start, and he was proud that Hiro found another role model to look up to besides him.

Anna smiled warmly. "Right! I'll see you soon, little brother!"

*****  
 _What is that amazing smell?_

Elsa slowly opened her eyes and rubbed them with sluggish fists. The headache that took her consciousness was reduced tremendously, and she felt so much better than she did before. Though no longer suffering from the horrible sensation of her head being split in half, her joints still felt weak. The scent of chocolate wafting through the air tickled her nose, causing her to prop her elbows over the mattress beneath her to locate its source.

Weary blue shot wide open, panic and realization latching onto them upon seeing Tadashi Hamada standing by her countertop with what seemed to be a pot of hot chocolate sitting in front of him. He was busy reading the label of a cough syrup to notice her waking up.

"Tadashi?" Elsa's voice cracked—her throat was dry and aching. "Tadashi, what are you—what happened? Why am I in my bed?" She struggled to sit up, wincing as she felt the side of her head throb. Moving too fast proved to be a bad idea, so Elsa slowly wriggled herself up and leaned her back against the bedframe.

Tadashi immediately turned his head to her and smiled. He allowed himself a few moments to take it all in: Elsa looking disheveled, lax, and completely out of her element. Usually dressed pristinely without a single wrinkle on her clothes, the sight of Elsa being the exact opposite of perfection made Tadashi's heart gallop. Even without make-up, even without her hair neatly braided and resting elegantly on her shoulder, she was just as equally attractive— _more_ attractive to him. And her hair—goddamn it, her hair mussed up and falling over her eyes was just something he found instantly alluring.

"Hey there, you're finally up," he finally acknowledged her, placing the bottle aside. "How are you feeling?"

A flaccid hand rubbed the side of Elsa's cheek and she swept her bangs to the side. "Terrible," she admitted. "I feel like I just got hit by a truck."

Tadashi nodded his head in agreement while he grabbed a steaming mug of chocolate milk, feet moving to Elsa's direction. "Well, I'm glad you're awake," he said, tilting his head to the side to examine her. "You really got me worried when you passed out."

Elsa's heart bounded over her chest. "I—I fainted?" Instinctively, her eyes scanned the surroundings of her room for any signs of ice and frost—but to her relief, there was none. Tadashi raised a brow at the odd reaction but simply ignored it. His socks brushed against the wooden floor and he stood over Elsa, quietly noting her improvement: she didn't look as pale as she did before and the dark circles under her eyes weren't as prominent.

She smoothed her hair and her hand travelled down her arm, absentmindedly rubbing it.. "How long was I out?"

"You were out for four hours, Elsa," Tadashi murmured, hoping this information wouldn't be so upsetting. "But thank God you're okay and didn't get a concussion or something because—uh—I caught you before you fell. Are you hungry?"

Blue eyes widened like saucers. "I was out for _four_ hours?" Elsa shrieked, her pulse quickening again. "Our _project!_ We have to finish it, Tadashi, we have to—ow—my head—"

"Whoa, there!" Tadashi rushed to her side the moment Elsa yelped in pain. He immediately placed the mug on her bedside table and scrambled next to her, his hands flying to each side of her head. "What hurts? Tell me—do you want me to call a doctor?"

Big brown eyes bore into icy blues, his flitting back and forth around her face as if trying to find the cause of her distress. Tadashi's forehead creased with concern, examining her closely, their faces a few breaths from each other. He felt a surge of heat beneath his palms—coincidentally about the same time Elsa's cheeks turned beet red. Elsa opened her mouth and closed it again. The intensity of Tadashi's eyes on her left her at a loss for words, bewildered with a pounding heart about to burst out of her chest.

They stared at each for a long moment, Tadashi's calloused hands on her face and Elsa's jaw hanging loosely.

It was Tadashi's turn to blush. He wrenched his hands away from her and looked away, hoping she wouldn't take notice of his reddened cheeks. Oh, he can feel it: he was sure he had turned into a human tomato by now.

"I-I'm fine," Elsa squeaked, eyes blinking furiously. For a brief moment, against her logic and scientific reasoning, she wondered if the warmth Tadashi's hands exuded on her cheeks calmed the onslaught that was about to take over her aching head once more. Elsa bit her lip, shaking away the feeling of _comfort_ that saturated her from the brief contact.

She wouldn't admit it, even to herself, but she missed Tadashi's touch the moment it left her.

Embarrassed, Tadashi cleared his throat, and he brushed his hand over his hair. "I'm—I'm sorry. Wasabi brought in a bunch of medicine, and they're right over there," he informed her, drawing her attention to a white plastic bag on her desk. "Would you like me to fetch you some aspirin?" He turned his head back to Elsa, noting the light brush of pink on her cheeks and the way her hands were intertwined with one another. She nodded meekly, eyes shouldering past him and catching a view of her sink filled with empty mugs. A light frown distorted her features for she did not recall having guests or using that many mugs. She was sure her sink was clean before Tadashi arrived.

Tadashi followed her trail, his hand rubbing against the back of his neck. "Oh, that. Don't worry about that right now, I'll wash them. They didn't take anything from your pantry, don't worry," he grinned sheepishly, unwillingly pulling himself up from the bed to attend to the sink. "I'm gonna get you some aspirin. Do you want to down it with chocolate milk or water?"

Elsa blinked up at him in confusion. "They?"

"The gang. They were here and they helped me finish our project," Tadashi replied, his back facing her as he walked back to the kitchen. "Like I said, you were out for a couple of hours so I used that time to be productive. I called them up to help me out and I made sure they were extra quiet so you can keep resting." He shrugged his shoulders, shooting Elsa an easy smile before rummaging through the white plastic bag to retrieve a bottle of aspirin.

"And before you start worrying, no, it's not considered cheating," he said with a smirk. "We all have different assignments and they were really happy they could help."

Nerves that were inactive started to awaken from their brief rest. "Honey, Go, Wasabi _and_ Fred were here?" Elsa asked nervously, her voice unsteady and on the verge of breaking. "Th-they were _here?_ "

She never invited anyone over before. No, she couldn't afford to take that risk.

So many things could have gone wrong. Elsa had never fainted before, and she didn't know the repercussions of an occurrence such as that. She didn't know if ice leaked out from her hands or if she had turned her room into an icebox without being aware of it due to her being unconscious. She didn't know these things, and it alarmed her that she might have revealed her secret to Tadashi and the rest of her classmates.

"Yeah, they were. I called them up. I hope you don't mind, we were all worried about you." Tadashi muttered distractedly, brown eyes scrutinizing the label of the aspirin bottle he was holding. "Honey and Go made lasagna for you, it's in the fridge."

Elsa studied Tadashi's movements, observing him for any hints of fear or oddity that can only be produced if he had seen anything bizarre happening while he was in her room. But the boy moved about with ease, completely unaware of Elsa's unspoken panic and concerns. She clutched at chest and surveyed her room once more, but there was nothing out of the usual there. She held back a sigh of relief when Tadashi glanced at her and smiled. She returned his gesture, fingers rolled around her sheets, mentally coaxing her anxiety to flee.

Elsa took in a breath before speaking. "That's very nice of them," she started, smoothening her hair with a hand. "So you guys finished the project? Can I go see it?"

Tadashi wagged his finger disapprovingly. "Nuh-uh. It's done. Over. I e-mailed our paper to Callaghan. I told him about what happened to you today and he said we could present last. We'll go over the details tomorrow. Today, it's rest day. No looking at computers or papers."

"You _what?_ "

She crossed her arms petulantly, icy blue eyes no longer bleary as they glared at Tadashi. "Tadashi, you didn't even show me what you guys did and you just e-mailed Callaghan our paper without even telling me? What if—"

He interrupted her, hands hovering in a placating gesture. "Elsa, _four_ —well, three—Fred didn't really do much but cheer us on—but my point is, four of the best people in our program worked on the project, including myself. Do you really think we're going to get a bad grade on this?"

When Elsa didn't answer, Tadashi pouted, cupped his hands, and went off on a tangent to somehow make sense of his argument. "Okay, I know that was really uncalled for since you weren't able to participate," he stepped in the middle of the room and started to pace back and forth, "You see, I was so close to calling an ambulance, but Wasabi said you were fine—I had the girls check your vitals and everything's stable. I just wanted you to rest because I know that this project was draining you for the past few weeks. I promise you we'll get a good grade. You just need to trust me on this, it'll be— "

Without realizing it, a soft grin tugged at the corner of her lips. It was _cute_ to witness Tadashi justifying his actions that were nowhere near to being wrong. Tadashi had a habit of throwing his hands in the air when attempting to explain something to make it more vivid. With his hands going up and about in circles, muscles underneath his thin sweater had started to outline themselves with each stretch and pull. Whatever Tadashi was saying flew out of the window. Distracted blue eyes roved around those huge biceps, and Elsa hardened her jaw, her brain frantically working double time to calibrate her head to shift itself to another direction to something else besides the attractive boy in front of her.

"—and we already aced our last project anyway. Hey, are you listening?" Tadashi came to an abrupt halt upon noticing Elsa clutching at her sheets with fists balled up like she was holding on to them for dear life. He turned his body around to face her, a brow notching in curiosity. "What's up? You okay?"

Elsa jerked her head up exaggeratedly, mouth moving uselessly and incapable of forming words. "I—uh—I'm fine," she said, waving a clumsy hand at him, "Okay, fine. I trust your judgment. And you're right, we did ace that Astrophysics presentation last time."

"We did, and we can do it again," Tadashi nodded encouragingly. "Now, what matters today is that you rest. Can I get you something to eat?"

As if suddenly being reminded of who she was and everything that she has been trying to avoid for the past few weeks, Elsa's instinctively straightened her back, the walls that were barely chipped rebuilding itself and doubling its structure. "That's very kind, but not necessary," she replied, her voice quiet and distant. "I appreciate it, but I can take care of myself."

He didn't mean to, but Tadashi rolled his eyes before he can stop himself. "Right. You pass out for four hours and you're telling me you can take care of yourself? Sure, I know you can. But not right now." He dug his hands in his pockets, heels rocking back and forth, determined to stay where he was and not give in to Elsa's stubbornness.

"Can I take care of you today?" Earnest brown eyes bore into hers, there was nothing in them but kindness and concern, and it made Elsa wonder what she ever did to deserve someone so good—no, of course she didn't deserve him, she had been nothing but cold and ungrateful, and the least she can do was to allow him to be her friend even for just a few minutes. She deserved a little bit of that, right? Even the worst of criminals without conscience had friends.

While Tadashi looked to her for a reply, her gaze travelled back to her occupied sink. For some strange reason, she felt a slight warmness sprouting from her chest just by looking at those empty mugs indicating they had been used by people—actual people who went to her apartment to make sure she was okay. People who helped her finish her project because she couldn't. People who were nothing but nice to her since the very beginning. People who were her _friends_.

The last time she had hot chocolate with someone was back in Arindal, with her little sister. After the accident, she had spent many years drinking coffee and hot chocolate by herself while reliving her happiest memories in her head like a broken record.

"I—I don't know how to thank them," she said, her tone softening against her will, "You guys have done so much—and I don't know how thank them…I don't know how to thank _you_." Elsa gripped her elbows protectively as if she was shielding her chest—her heart—in fear that Tadashi might see how much of a wreck she really was. She tucked her hair behind her ear, face flushed, lips pursed into a thin a line. She could feel Tadashi's eyes on her and she avoided his stare, knowing fully well that they were filled with nothing more but grace that she didn't deserve in this lifetime and the next.

"Well," Tadashi started, assuming his place back on Elsa's bed side, "We're your friends and we care for you, Elsa. You just have to get used to it." He leaned in, taking Elsa's hand from her elbow, his palm brushing against hers. Brown eyes trained themselves on her knuckles, unaware of frantic blues and the tiny gasp that escaped the blonde. "I know you don't feel the same way for me, you made that clear and I get it," he murmured, head still dipped low, "but I still want to be your friend. Please don't take that away from me, that's all I'm asking." He looked up, gave her a close-mouthed smile as his hand reluctantly slid away from hers.

The blush on Elsa's cheek deepened, her heart thrashing aggressively, convincing her it was going to explode. She ground her teeth, resisting the strong and nagging urge to kiss those lips that spoke pretty things. Lips that never failed to curl up into a smile whenever she was around.

She might have loved him unconditionally right at that moment.

"I am your friend," Elsa said around the lump in her throat. She held back a wince and bit her tongue at how brittle her voice sounded, but she continued on, demurely pushing her bangs to the side with a finger. "I appreciate all the effort. What can I do to make it up to you and the…gang?"

And with those words, Tadashi's cheeks bunched up and his grin doubled its size. "Do you have any plans for Christmas Eve? Are you going back to Norway for the holidays?" He asked, his face lighting up like a little kid who had successfully found a treasure chest filled with toys and candies.

She felt her shoulders droop, remembering that she would be spending Christmas by herself again. By choice. "No…I'm not going home. I don't have plans. I'll probably buy textbooks for next semester and start— "

"Would you like to come over for dinner?" Tadashi blurted, stoked by the prospect of having Elsa meet Hiro and Aunt Cass. "I mean, not just you, me—me and you—wait what? It's with the entire gang, too. You get to meet Hiro and Aunt Cass, " he babbled on, hands flying in the air animatedly once again. "Please?"

There it was, the feeling of excitement and joy that she had painstakingly tried to tuck and bury underneath all her layers of self-loathing and feigned apathy, reemerging and mocking her—excitement and joy that washed over her like a wave of redemption whenever Tadashi would smile and laugh. How can she deny him this one thing when all he has ever done was made her happy even though it was something she had tried so hard to ignore and even detest?

Elsa's face went through a series of expressions, lips parting with words unsaid, mind running amok with a thousand excuses to reject his invitation—and that one vital reason as to why she should go: she couldn't bear breaking his heart again like she did the last time.

Tadashi looked at her with sheer anticipation, with hope that she would come around and join him and his family to celebrate a holiday that she had abandoned so many years ago. He looked at her, his eyes imploring and bright, seeing nothing but beauty and radiance and goodness in her that she could not see or dare to find within herself. With her head hanging and her brain exhausting itself with rapid thoughts of what could go wrong, she inhaled deeply, her breath reaching the base of her lungs.

Fighting her own demons and ignoring the negative voices harassing her mind, the conflicted blonde managed a small smile, her blues finally meeting his browns.

"Yes, I would love to have dinner with you and your family."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** I said that this will only be three chapters long. But I actually like this story, so I'm extending it to _ten to fifteen_ more chapters. We'll see how it goes. :) This is a multichapter story now. Part I and Part II can be seen in my previous posts if you want to check them out.

Enjoy. :)

* * *

" _Miss Anna! I didn't expect you to call so early today. Is everything okay?_

" _Hello, Kai! And yeah! I'm fine, thank you. I was just wondering…would you be able to change my itinerary and have me flying with a different airline?"_

"… _Miss Anna, your flight is tomorrow. I reckon you would be more comfortable and well-accommodated in Arendelle Airlines? Is there something wrong?_

" _I know, I'm sorry this is so last minute. And no—it's just that—I really want to try flying in…coach, too."_

" _I'm sorry, what?"_

" _Kai, I've been doing Business Class flights for as long as I can remember and it's just so boring sitting by myself and with boring old people. Just…please? Can you please rearrange this for me?"_

" _Anna, you are the CEO of Arendelle Airlines—"_

" _No, Kai…Elsa's still the CEO. I'm just the spare or a substitute right now. Whatever you wanna call it. But anyway, that's why I'm going to San Fransokyo to…talk to her. It's just that—I'd rather be around people this time. And—and I start to remember Mom and Dad and..like…I just…don't want to be alone."_

 _"I can still get Mr. Bjorgman a ticket, if you would like."_

 _"No…I just…I think I need to do this alone, but I don't want to be alone on my way there. Does that make sense?"_

"… _very well then. I understand and it does make sense. Yes…it does get quite boring sitting with old people all the time especially now that you've started to travel more because of your meetings. I hope you are not bored with me, though."_

" _Of course not! I love you, Kai."_

" _I love you, too. I'll e-mail you your new itinerary in an hour or so. I'm gonna go make phone calls now. We'll talk later?"_

" _Thank you for everything. This means a lot to me."_

" _You're welcome, princess."_

* * *

"Welcome aboard! Enjoy your flight!"

The flight attendant welcoming her at the plane's gate said with an overabundance of enthusiasm and a clearly forced smile.

Anna was too hyped to notice her facade. It felt nice to be around so many people, all excited for their own special adventure, or filled with homesick thoughts as they returned to their home. She was used to traveling despite her general dislike of planes, and she was hoping this trip to be twice as fulfilling as any of her previous flights that were always spent in solitude or with snotty business associates.

Walking through the cramped space of the coach section of the plane, she caught glimpses of people setting their belongings at their chairs and getting ready with different activities to pass the time. Some brought books with them, others had different devices and games, and many already seemed half asleep on their itchy pillows and blankets while they waited for the surrounding noise to settle down.

Anna practically bounced towards her seat excitedly, braids flailing and trolley bag rocking behind her as she reached her seat.

 _I hope I get seated next to someone nice… I can't wait to have an interesting conversation during such long flights for once that's not business related!_ She thought before opening the cabinet above her row.

Occupied by her wishful thinking and pondering, she failed to notice the line of people walking behind her to get to their seats.

"Can you move? You're blocking the way!" Someone yelled from the back of the line, carelessly walking right into Anna and pushing her to the aisle's floor. The disheveled looking man with a stained T-shirt and sweaty stench flicked his eyes at her and smirked, not even bothering to offer a hand to help her up.

Had it been an Arendelle Airlines plane instead of the one that they were currently in, that man would never have dared to pull that stunt due to the fact that security will not hesitate to drag him out of the plane the moment he disrespected the CEO.

 _CEO._ It had a funny ring to it that Anna could never find herself getting used to. She didn't want to be addressed as that, she never wanted the position that was bestowed on her upon her sister's unexplained departure. Chief Executive Officer Anna Arendelle. She had just turned eighteen and did not even know how to parallel park, let alone run a multi-billion dollar airline company. But this man who had rudely pushed her did not know that, unaware that the girl he had just disrespected can buy off the entire aircraft they were standing in, _including_ its staff members.

What he knew was this: she was out of place with no one to defend her and she was just another forgettable face in the crowd.

He simply snorted and shook his head, padding along the narrow hallway to his seat. Flushed from shock and embarrassment, Anna scampered to get back up from the floor and she wiped the dirt off her knees with her hands, murmuring her apologies to the people behind her.

Her eyes bore holes into her violator's back. "It's not nice to push people!" she exclaimed sharply, causing the man to turn around and roll his eyes at her. Anna had her fists clenched, her better judgment eluding her as she stomped towards him, ready to give him a piece of her mind. The unsuspecting and unapologetic man squeaked, his eyes widening when he realized she was not going to let him off the hook. But before Anna can take another step, a strong hand grabbed her arm, yanking her back to her seat, much to the man's relief as he quickly hobbled away to get out of sight.

"Whoa, there! Don't let that jerk get the best of you. It's not worth getting into a fight with someone like him."

Anna stared at the girl who was holding her arm in a death grip, her eyes darting to the hand wrapped around hers and the face to which it belonged to. Green eyes were met by brown ones with the eyebrows above them knitted together in worry. The girl had thick, long, black hair that went down to her waist, and she had the complexion of someone who had spent a fair amount of time under the sun. She was wearing a bright pink shirt and she had a flower tucked behind her ear. Noticeably shorter than her, it didn't seem like they were the same age, Anna thought, as she felt the grip loosen on her arm. The girl looked a bit older and just about Elsa's age.

"I'm sorry for grabbing you like that," the girl started with a slight lilt to her voice, indicating she was not from Arindal, "I saw the whole thig happen and that was absolutely uncalled for. Are you okay?"

Anna nodded, rubbing her arm with the back of her hand. "Yeah, it's just that—that wasn't nice," she trailed off, blushing and slightly lowering her head in embarrassment as she realized how pathetic she must have looked.

"Eh, forget him," the girl muttered, waving a dismissive hand. "Here, let me help you put away the rest of your stuff." Before Anna can protest, the well-meaning stranger lifted her other bag with ease and carefully shoved it beside the luggage inside the compartment above them. "This yellow bag is mine, I'm going to put your stuff next to it since there's still a lot of space," she explained, turning her head back to Anna.

Anna watched her move about, patting their bags to make sure they were situated properly. When she was done, she plopped down onto her seat, beckoning Anna to do the same thing.

"I guess we're sitting next to each other," she chuckled before smiling warmly. "My name is Nani, what's yours?"

Anna's mood shifted almost immediately, her lips parting into a bright smile that mirrored Nani's. Forgetting the unpleasant interaction that occurred minutes ago prior to meeting her seatmate, she perked up, shooting her hand up in front of neighbor's face.

"My name is Anna. Thank you for being so nice to me! This is my first time flying in coach and I normally know what to do because I've been in airplanes all my life, and almost every other week because of work…but not with so many people around me, not like this— " she stopped abruptly, catching the surprised look on Nani's face as she went off on a tangent with such velocity that it caught the other girl off guard.

"I'm sorry, I just ramble a lot," she said, smiling sheepishly while her cheeks turned bright red. She took an intake of breath to somehow calm the excitement brewing inside the pit of her stomach. The last thing she wanted was to scare Nani off, considering that they had just met and would be sitting next to each other for the next few hours. "I guess all I really want to say is…thank you and I'm sorry for babbling."

Nani's face melted into a smile, startled brown eyes replaced by ones that were filled with kindness and understanding. Anna reminded her of her own sister who was back in Hawaii waiting for her return, and in that moment, she decided that she enjoyed being Anna's presence.

"No harm done, dear." Nani gently placed a hand on Anna's arm, reassuring her that all was well and she had nothing to apologize for. "You remind me of my little sister, Lilo. You two would get along really well."

"You have a little sister? That's so adorable! Where is she?"

Nani shook her head and giggled, growing even more enthused by the bubbly girl. "She's home in Hawaii. I'm only here in Norway for a two-day snowboarding conference. I would have brought her with me, but she has school so I left her with my husband."

Anna smiled, suddenly remembering Kristoff.

The two passed the time by sharing stories about anything that came to mind: their hobbies, and random tidbits about their lives in Norway and Hawaii. Anna found out about Nani's parents and their deaths, and her heart leapt out to her. Nani had been taking care of her younger sister since their demise, and had taken the role being of Lilo's guardian and parent. Anna refrained from telling Nani that her parents were also gone, unwilling to be reduced into a sobbing wreck while thousands of feet up in the air. It has only been four months since they've been gone and she was still not remotely close to being comfortable talking about it, not even with Kristoff.

"Hey, Anna, are you okay?" Nani asked, disrupting Anna's stupor and the threatening waves of sadness that was about to crash into her. She opened her mouth, but no words would come out. Nani looked at her quizzically, her concern growing by the second.

"Did I say something upsetting?"

Anna shook her head. "No, no. I'm…how do you and your sister get along so well?"

The shorter girl was taken aback, frowning slightly at Anna's random question. "Well," she started, thinking it over, "we do have our differences and we don't always agree on things half of the time, but we both know that we will always love each other no matter what."

Before Nani can say another word, Anna sniffled and quickly shot her hands up to cover her face. Her lips were trembling, and she tried her best to restrain them by gritting her teeth into them, her head shaking furiously to will the tears away.

"Anna?" Nani's tone was soft, hands hovering over Anna's frail figure, her shoulders shaking as she tried to choke back her sobs. "Anna, what's wrong?"

Anna tried for words, but all that came out were broken syllables that were drowned with the thickness of her emotions. She started hiccuping, her back hunched over while she continued to bury her palms over her eyes, her breath hitching as she struggled for air.

"It's…just…that….I….don't….know…why….my….sister…. _left_ …me…I don't…know…why…—"

The sudden revelation hit home run, and that's when Nani's heart broke for Anna. Not once did Anna mention that she had a sister or parents, and Nani now suspected that Anna was going away on this trip to see her. Troubling thoughts started to creep up to her mind and she found herself praying that Anna's sister was still alive and safe somewhere especially since the word "left" was just so baleful and vague.

Nani wanted to touch Anna, to somehow comfort her, but she didn't want to interrupt her stammered explanation of her distress so she opted to putting her hands down, ears straining and leaning over slightly to make out what the other girl was saying in between her sobs.

"I…don't…even…know…if she…if she…wants to see me…I don't know…why…why…she stopped…loving me."

A quiet sigh of relief escaped Nani's throat, her prayers answered when Anna confirmed her that her sister was still reachable and within their world. This time, Nani did not stop herself from slowly prying Anna's hands away from her face, replacing them with her own. She felt warm tears dampen her palms, but she did not care, as she looked straight into Anna's glistening eyes, a little smile gracing her face.

"I don't know what happened between the two of you, but let me tell you something. I know your sister loves you, and whatever it is that you two are going through, you will triumph over it and you will come out stronger and better than you ever did before."

The intensity of Nani's stare left Anna stunned just as her words had pierced through her battle-weary heart. She ducked her head, a tear trickling down her cheeks, and Nani reached out to her side to pull out a piece of napkin. She handed it to Anna, and Anna smiled by the barest bit before blowing into it. Silence draped over them for a few minutes as Nani patiently waited for Anna to regain her composure, offering her an unopened bottle of water that the flight attendant had given her before their departure.

Anna took a gulp, the trail of lukewarm liquid soothing her aching throat that was strained from crying. "My sister left home two days after we found out our parents died from a plane crash on their way home from a business trip for her birthday," she said quietly, green eyes darkened with sadness. "I haven't seen her since then. We used to be so close when we were children, but she just decided to shut me out when she turned nine years old. I never knew why. Even our parents wouldn't tell me."

Anna's voice was breaking and she felt another surge of grief take a hold of her, but she took in a breath, forcing it down to the pit of her stomach. She was so tired of crying. So very tired. "And now with our parents gone, I have no one left—well, I do have my boyfriend and Kai—but family wise, Elsa is all I have left. She won't answer my calls, not a single one. So…I'm going to San Fransokyo and she'll have to face me whether she likes it or not," Anna forced a chuckle, but it was dry and shallow. She lifted her head back up at Nani, whose eyes were now glistening. Anna didn't even notice her expression since she was looking at her lap the whole time she was talking—and to see Nani close to tears made her gasp.

Anna's passing words came back to Nani on full blast, almost knocking the wind out of her lungs when she had realized the reality of Anna's situation and the difficulty she must have felt each and every time she was up in the air with the constant reminder of what she had lost: _I've been in airplanes all my life, and almost every other week because of work…but not with so many people around me, not like this…_

Without any warning, Nani lurched herself forward and locked Anna in an embrace. "I am so sorry for what you're going through and for everything that had happened." Anna's eyes widened with surprise, tensing just a little bit before softening and awkwardly patting Nani's back. She then let herself melt into her embrace, her body weary and limp from the emotional whirlwind that continued to mangle her insides.

Anna closed her eyes, her mind going back to the time where she was embraced and held like this. It has been so long, and her memory was fuzzy and distorted by all the despair that life had forcefully thrown at her. Yes, Kristoff and Kai were always there to give her hugs whenever she needed them—but a _sister's_ hug could never compare.

When was the last time she and Elsa hugged? She felt something inside her crack just a little bit more over the tragic fact that she didn't remember the last time her sister wrapped her in an embrace.

For a few seconds, she pretended that it was Elsa's arms she was surrounded with, and not Nani's. And then she also imagined that it was her mother's turn to hug her, too, as Nani shifted. For a fleeting moment, she allowed herself to disconnect from her reality and make herself believe that she was being held by the people that had left her broken and bleeding.

Nani pulled away, her hands now gripping Anna's shoulders. "I know this is a very difficult thing for you right now, but it gets better and I know you can rise above it," she said, her face brightening with encouragement, "Time and love can heal you, just keep holding on to hope. The truth is, it'll suck most days and you'll feel like it'll never end. The grief, the loneliness—but it will, Anna. Family. Your family will always be there for you. Your sister is not gone and I know for a fact that she loves you and she never stopped loving you.

Anna held back a sigh, shrugging, grateful for Nani's positivity yet finding it hard to fully believe what she was saying. Not right now, anyway. "It's just hard to get up most days just to relive the painful moments because that's…all I've ever really known lately," she mumbled, slightly surprised by her lack of fervor and optimism. Even heroes had their weaknesses, and Anna was just as human and vulnerable like that rest of them."

" _Ohana."_

Anna blinked back at Nani, confused. "What?"

Nani rested her hand atop of Anna's arm. "We have a saying back in Hawaii that's called _ohana_. It simply means **"** family", and family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten. You are not left behind or forgotten, Anna. Go see your sister. She misses you just as much as you miss her."

Anna pursed her lips, a stinging sensation burning right behind her weary eyes, and she felt her throat constrict once again: an indication of what could take place next. Before a whimper can escape her, her arms stretched out and she pulled Nani in.

And this time, she allowed herself to cry on a big sister's shoulder.

* * *

It was hard saying goodbye to Nani. After landing and readying themselves to reach their destination, they've exchanged phone numbers and email addresses while promising each other that they would visit one another. Anna told Nani that she could visit her in Hawaii next month after her classes ended, and Nani said she would take a few days off so they can hang out with Lilo and her husband. After another hug, they finally parted ways and thanked each other for the companionship.

Nani walked to the other side of the airport for her connecting flight, and Anna found herself smiling slightly, head tilted up and eyes resting on the large, rectangular billboard displayed just outside the plethora of windows encircling the airport with bright lights tracing the letters of each word written on it.

"Welcome to San Fransokyo," she whispered to herself.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** And here we go.

 **Now Playing / Unkle Bob : Swans**

* * *

 _ **By my side, you'll never be…**_

* * *

Aunt Cass' bone-crushing hug squeezed a small, surprised gasp from Elsa, her back straightening like a rod, rigid as can be as shorter arms coiled themselves around her. The overly excited woman was oblivious of the awkwardness and obvious lack of social skills the blonde exuded, unaware of Elsa's initial shock and her round blue eyes threatening to pop out of her skull. The moment Elsa entered the Hamada home, Aunt Cass immediately ambushed her with arms wide open, ready and eager to meet the girl her nephew had been yapping about endlessly for months. Tadashi stood behind his aunt, grabbing the plate of Krumkake Elsa had on her hand just in case she dropped it as she stood trapped in the older woman's embrace.

It was Christmas Eve, and the scent of fresh pastries and Cass' unorthodox spicy chicken wings filled the room, causing Elsa's stomach to twist and turn with hunger. Since it was her first time—in thirteen years—celebrating Christmas with other people apart from her mom and dad, she was quite vexed and nervous as to how the night would play out. She had wanted to celebrate with Anna all those years, but Agdar would make it a point to send Anna away after Christmas breakfast to spend the day with Idun and her grandparents. Young Anna would always wait for Elsa's arrival but would always end up being disappointed until she was convinced that Elsa hated Christmas—and her.

Memories of her holidays threatened to sour her mood, so Elsa forced herself to smile and gave Cass' a cautious tap on the shoulder as she desperately prayed for the older woman to release her from her grasp. Aunt Cass beamed. "I'm so glad you came, Elsa! Welcome to our home!" Elsa was ushered to the small dining room, Tadashi behind her, rubbing the back of his neck nervously and unable to contain the goofy smirk he was trying to suppress. He couldn't quite believe that the girl of his dreams had finally agreed to go on a date with him. Well, not really since it was a family dinner—but it meant the world to him and the excitement radiating from within was only mere seconds away from bursting out of his face in a form of a gigantic smile or a happy dance.

It didn't really help that Elsa was wearing a simple, light blue dress that magnified the brilliant blue of her eyes.

Clouds. Tadashi felt like he was walking on Cloud Nine with Elsa being the sole angel, the most wonderfully made being in all of creation, standing before him.

Before Elsa could try to excuse herself from the awkward yet passionate introduction, a loud _ding_ sounded off from the kitchen and Aunt Cass bounded off to continue preparing the meal as if nothing happened. Elsa's jaw continued to slack, her eyes glazed with emotion and her cheeks and shoulders warm and tense.

 _Well, at least this night can't possibly get any more stressful than it already has,_ she tried to convince herself, though she knew she was already wrong as soon as she looked to her left.

Tadashi's smirk quickly shifted to a wide-cheeked grin the moment Elsa's eyes connected with his. One part elated by the surprising turn of events, one turn trying to hold back from laughing so hard that he would fall to the floor.

Her blood started pumping even faster and her cheeks even redder. Despite it all, the instinct to run suddenly seemed to fade. Even fighting wasn't an option that Elsa considered anymore… simply embracing the embarrassment and succumbing to whatever mess she got herself in would be good enough for now.

 _At least he's happy about it._ She thought as her muscles started to loosen and she felt in control once more.

"…Hi." Elsa spoke timidly and with a gentle, elegant wave of her hand.

"I can tell that you're worried and I guarantee that I won't hug you like that right now. At least not until you have some time to recover." Tadashi replied tentatively.

She held back a chuckle and turned her head away as if to wave him off, but before she knew it he was already walking towards her with a smile still in place.

Elsa stilled again as Tadashi stopped just a couple of feet away from her, keeping himself close yet giving Elsa her space as he promised. "I'm so, so glad that you're here. Thank you for coming, Elsa." He said in the most soft and sincere voice he could muster.

"Of course, it's… Thank you. I'm happy to be here too, I think." She replied equally as honest, still trying to cool her boiling skin down.

Tadashi gave a light chuckle and started to lead her down the hallway. "I promise that the rest of the night won't be this intense…come join us in the dining room."

Elsa took one deep breath, and began following the dark haired boy through his festive apartment.

 _This is going to be a long night…_

Hiro spent half the time rolling his eyes at Tadashi, exasperated and unimpressed by his brother's puppy dog eyes that never seemed to leave Elsa's face. While Aunt Cass interviewed Elsa—asking her about Norway, what she was studying, and how her classes were, Tadashi sat across from them, listening intently and hardly trying to pry his gaze away from the blonde. The mesmerized young man was unaware of the mess he was making on his plate as he twirled his spaghetti aimlessly with his fork, all attention directed to Elsa. Hiro could no longer stand watching Tadashi, so he quietly excused himself and proceeded to make his way to the kitchen.

Luckily, Tadashi and Cass did not mind. They didn't even notice him leave since both of them were being regaled by Elsa's stories about her snowboarding adventures back in the Southern Isles last winter. It took a good half an hour for the blonde to warm up to Aunt Cass, but thanks to Tadashi's reassuring smiles accompanied by Hiro's occasional thumbs up, Elsa finally felt calm and comfortable enough to actually let out a soft chuckle here and there.

Hiro was glad for the improvement in the atmosphere, but he had some pressing business to attend to. He hastily made his way to the kitchen, leaned against the wall next to the entryway, and pulled his phone from his pocket. With dexterous hands, he hastily typed a quick message and pressed "send."

 _To: Anna A. Where are you?_

Three minutes passed by. Hiro poked his head out of the entrance to the kitchen to make sure Cass, Elsa, and Tadashi remained situated right where they were. When he was completely sure that none of them were suspicious of his whereabouts and what he was up to, he sighed in relief and smiled to himself.

That smile grew wider when his phone vibrated on his palm, delivering a message that pleased him greatly.

 _From: Anna A._

 _I'm outside, I think…Lucky Cat Café, right?_ Hiro ran to the backdoor.

After succeeding in pleading with Aunt Cass to not feed her any more hot wings, Elsa uncharacteristically slouched in her seat, obvious contentment drawn all over her face as she placed a hand over her belly. She felt like she had eaten a whole week's worth of food, and she cringed at the thought of the calories and carbohydrates invading her body. But tonight was not the right time to fret. She could always do her routine morning jog the next day and eat her usual healthy foods—but it was Christmas Eve, and she decided that she wanted to enjoy herself. Tadashi glanced at her and smiled, unable to hide his happiness as his eyes shone with gratitude. Elsa returned the gesture, her lip easily curving up into a lop-sided grin.

The two stared at each other for a while, oblivious to Aunt Cass' knowing smirk.

"So did my nephew ask you to be his girlfriend yet?"

Tadashi choked on his water, the remaining contents of his glass splattering on the table after knocking it over by accident. He looked like a gasping fish that had jumped out of its aquarium as he coughed and struggled to hack up air from his lungs.

Elsa folded her hands over her lap, her head hanging low to hide the angry and relentless bright shade of red creeping up to her face. Aunt Cass' simply smirked, turning her gaze back and forth toward the two and enjoying their reactions. When neither of them said a word, she glanced to the far end of the table and noticed Hiro's absence. She pursed her lip and raised a brow, this time looking at Tadashi questioningly.

"Where did your brother go?"

After surreptitiously attempting to clean up the mess he made, Tadashi looked up from his now-dissolved puddle of water and met his aunt's eyes. "I don't know," he replied with a shrug. "He told me a friend of his is coming over. I don't know who it is, he won't tell me. He said it's a girl…maybe he's meeting up with her now?"

Aunt Cass let out a hearty chuckle. "I'm glad he's finally making friends! And it's a girl! We need more girls in this house. You boys are growing up way too fast," she exclaimed before standing up from her seat and patting Tadashi's head. "I'm gonna go back to the kitchen and grab a few drinks. Elsa, wine or beer?"

Elsa shook her head vigorously. "Thank you for the offer, but I don't drink," she replied shyly. "I'm what they call a…lightweight." Aunt Cass pursed her lip and looked at the blonde adoringly before disappearing into the kitchen. "Okay, so bubble tea for Elsa and a beer for Tadashi!" Aunt Cass called out while waving a hand without looking back. Tadashi simply grinned and shook his head slowly, half amused and half embarrassed by his aunt's unwavering energy and ability to make Elsa feel right at home. He made sure to remember to thank her later.

"…So…are you okay?" Elsa looked up from her plate and her gaze fell on Tadashi. "I'm great," she whispered, trying her very best to conceal the gigantic smile that was ready to erupt from her face from the joy she was feeling for the first time in what seemed like forever. "I wish it can be like this all the time." Tadashi quirked a brow, folding his arms across the table, his distance merely inches apart from Elsa who was sitting in front of him. "What do you mean?" _Being with a family…_ Tadashi found his answer when Elsa's eyes darkened by the slightest bit, her lip twitching as if she wanted to say something but chose not to the last minute, head dipping ever so slowly. Concerned by the sudden change in his friend's behavior, Tadashi reached over and gently placed his hand over hers—a pale, slender hand that was gripping a fork like she was about to snap it in half. "Hey, you don't have to answer that. It's okay. And it can be like this all the time. You're part of the family now and don't be surprised if Aunt Cass calls you every week to come over for dinner." Tadashi offered a reassuring smile which Elsa returned, the warmth of his skin against hers prompting her heart to perform several somersaults.

Another moment was interrupted when the excited squealing of Aunt Cass filled the room indicating that another guest had arrived. Tadashi sighed and pulled his hand away from Elsa, then turned his back to the direction of the kitchen. As a distant commotion took place a few feet away, Elsa straightened her back and poked at her spaghetti, face still flushed from her momentary private time with Tadashi. She couldn't help but strain her ear a bit as the distracting noise from the other room tore her attention away from her food.

"You have the most beautiful eyes! Are they blue or blue green?" Elsa heard Aunt Cass gush over the girl she guessed as Hiro's friend. The description of the anonymous newcomer stopped Elsa mid-way from putting her fork inside her mouth as she remembered a certain blue-green eyed girl that occupied her thoughts incessantly. She shook her head once, ridding her mind of the memories as she concentrated on devouring her food.

Tadashi nodded absentmindedly. "I guess Hiro has a thing for girls with blue eyes, too," he murmured to himself.

"Excuse me?"

"N-nothing! Maybe we should go introduce ourselves to Hiro's friend?" a very flustered Tadashi suggested, the tip of his ears searing with heat as he staggered out of his seat in an attempt to stand up. As he fumbled about ungraciously, Elsa dug her teeth into her bottom lip to suppress her laughter, allowing Tadashi to giggle and shrug his shoulders in surrender. "I really don't mind falling flat on my face as long as I see you laughing. Even at me. Nerd." He scrunched up his face and stuck his tongue out at the blonde who was taken a back for a moment before returning the gesture.

* * *

' _ **Cause I'm fake at the seams, I'm lost in my dreams, And I want you to know that I can't let you go…**_

* * *

While Elsa and Tadashi, two scientists and seemingly matured adults blew raspberries at each other, Aunt Cass, Hiro, and a wide-eyed red head came into view. Aunt Cass had her hands glued on the ocean-eyed girl's shoulders, maneuvering her to the dining room, her grin so wide it was about to split her face apart. Hiro rolled his eyes at Elsa and Tadashi, nudging his friend on the side with his elbow.

"You see that? That's how Tadashi gets all the girls. Through lame jokes and cliché flirting," he pointed out, unimpressed by the duo's playful banter. "It was cute at first, but now it's just nauseating." Hiro looked up when he didn't hear a chuckle or some sort of acknowledgement indicating that his friend had heard her. He furrowed his brows, his smug expression immediately wiped away and replaced by a look of worry and concern.

"Are you okay?"

Aunt Cass was just as perplexed when she felt resistance build up from the girl's body as she stiffened in her touch, stopping them both dead in their tracks. "Honey, are you okay?"

The residues of Elsa and Tadashi's laughter dissipated immediately, overshadowed by silence that hung heavily in the air. Elsa could've sworn her soul leapt as every single fiber and molecule and cell in her body sparked with recognition—every neuron, every nerve, every single thing within her very core and being jumped with life the moment her mind registered the face of the person that held the same genetic code she had.

She dared to speak her name, the very name containing four letters that haunted her in her sleep, gave hope to her in her times of distress, and glued her broken pieces together when everything was falling apart. The only name the echoed in the deepest and most private recesses of her mind. The only name attached to the person, the very being that kept her alive all these years.

The only person that she had truly ever loved more than herself and anything else in this world and beyond the vast cosmos and indescribable galaxies far beyond her reach—her anchor, her best friend, a girl with her own constellation of freckles dotting her kind face, a girl filled with so much goodness and love that Elsa could not believe they were of the same blood. A girl that rivaled the sun's warmth and splendor, giving life and meaning to everything she touched and graced with her presence.

A girl that looked her deep in the eyes, pleading for her attention. For her love.

For _her._ Her sister.

 _Anna._

* * *

 _ **And you're never coming home again…**_

* * *

The fork Elsa was holding made a quiet _clank_ as it landed flat on the floor, her hands folding into fists, the knuckles attached to them visibly white from the applied pressure. She blinked once, inhaled, and unavailingly tried to control the pounding of her heart, her breaths reduced to staccato beats.

Her first instinct was to run to her sister. Embrace her. Never let go. Pepper her cheeks with kisses. Embrace her again. Never, ever, ever, ever let go. Not anymore. Never again.

But she stood still. Unwavering, stoic, guarded.

Scared.

Anna had the same thoughts flashing across her mind, daring to step forward to breach an invisible barrier that stood between her and her sister. She raised her hand as if to reach out—folded it into a fist when she saw Elsa take a step back— a picture of someone about to knock on a door that refused to be opened.

But Anna was already knee-deep into this, she was already here and she didn't plan on leaving any time soon. Anna was not about to back out without a fight. Without a hug. Without a single "hello". Anything. Anything at all that her sister can muster to give her.

Step. Step. Step.

"Elsa?" Anna said in a broken whisper, in a voice that burned deep within Elsa's heart—another addition to her seemingly endless collection of scars and bruises. Elsa noted the change in her sister's voice: Anna didn't have that annoying baby squeak that she secretly loved anymore. She sounded more refined, lady-like…grown-up. Her hair was a lot longer, too. And she has grown a bit taller, slender—those sword-fighting lessons paid off, Elsa thought as she noticed her sister's athletic built. And her freckles were more noticeable now, an array of light-colored specks splattered across her nose. She was beautiful and everything Elsa imagined her to be in her dreams.

But one thing remained: those eyes were still pleading with her. Pleading, questioning, wondering—

"Elsa, please say something," Anna prodded gently, beseechingly, holding herself from running to her sister and crushing her in a bear hug. She felt the first hint of tears burn from back of her eyes, threatening to stream down her cheeks.

Elsa stilled, oblivious of Tadashi and Hiro bickering and arguing in the background, oblivious of Aunt Cass clutching at her chest, watching the whole encounter play out in front of her like a tragic scene from an equally tragic movie. Elsa struggled for words, her lexicon suddenly running empty, and her eloquence in speech that was barely even there to begin with completely eluding her.

Elsa swallowed hard, her throat dry as can be and aching from suppressing the tears that were long overdue. "What are you doing here?" she asked, her tone unstable and cracked, the venom she intended to inject into those words fell flat and ineffective in Anna's ears.

Anna mustered a wobbly smile, adding more salt to Elsa's wounds as she struggled to keep her composure. "I'm here for you. I miss you so much. Merry Christmas, Elsa." Anna took another step, Elsa took another one back. An endless cat and mouse chase, except both were so exhausted from running. So exhausted from fighting. So exhausted from hurting and hurting one another.

* * *

 _ **I wanted to tell you I changed, I wanted to tell you that things would be different this time I see you, you see me differently…**_

* * *

Elsa took a deep, controlled breath in, pressing the bridge of her nose with her fingers. "I….I…." _I love you, Anna. I miss you, too. More than you'll ever know._

"…I think you should go."

"But I just got here," Anna replied quietly, shaking away the sting that poked at her heart upon hearing those words. Again. "Can we at least talk? Even for just a few minutes?"

Elsa shook her head and released a low, hollow chuckle. "Anna, this is…."

 _This is all I have ever wanted. To see you. To hug you. To be with you. But I can't. I can't hurt you again. You're not safe here. I love you. Please listen to me._

"….Anna this is very irresponsible of you. Kai must be so worried—I'm gonna call him right now and have him arrange the next flight to Norway for you. It's not _safe_ for you to be here."

 _Still such a bossy stinker. Some things will never change, I suppose._ Anna thought, surprised by the irony of her musings in the middle of a very intense confrontation.

"I'm not going anywhere until you talk to me," Anna said coolly, daring to raise an eyebrow at her older, taller sister. Aunt Cass took in a sharp intake of breath, silently cheering Anna on and praying for Elsa to let go of her resistance and hug her sister already. For a moment, Anna thought something gave way—that she finally got through the unyielding blonde. Elsa's features softened, her shoulders dropping by the slightest bit and—

She stormed off. Elsa made a quick pivot and darted towards the front door, not bothering to look back or listen to the voices calling after her and disregarding the pouring rain that immediately drenched her the moment she stepped foot outside. She needed to leave. She needed to leave _now._

* * *

 _ **You tell me that you love me but you never want to see me again…**_

* * *

But Anna followed after her, stubborn footsteps padding against the cold gravel, mindless of her water-soaked socks. She had been so used to running, chasing, trailing after her sister that she knew how to keep up with Elsa's pace—it was instinct for her to follow Elsa wherever she went until Elsa told her to stop.

"Elsa!"

The distressed blonde stopped dead in her tracks, tears finally streaming down and blending with the rain falling from the darkened skies. Momentary relief made Anna's heart skipped a beat: for once, Elsa stopped. For once, Elsa heard her—listened to her. Not that she never did—because every time she walked away, Anna's voice followed after her: in her dreams, in her nightmares, and even in her idle thoughts. For once, Anna allowed herself to be angry. For once, she allowed the pent up emotions of agitation, and pain, and anger, and disappointment, and despair engulf her.

"I buried mom and dad by myself, Elsa!" Anna blurted out, the anguish in her voice evident and tangible—and loud enough to rattle the unseen wall standing in between her and her long-lost best friend. "What did I ever do to you? Why did you leave? Why do you hate me so much? What did I do—tell me, so I'll never do it again," Anna pleaded, her weakened knees finally giving in surrender as they dug themselves into the ground. She was tired, she was so, _so_ tired.

Elsa's mask of apathy melted into something resembling a grimace. Her heart ached with longing, her weary mind rewinding all those dreary nights of being accompanied by no one but the images of her parents' and her sister's faces. All her frustration and all her mistakes crashed into her, trampling what little defense she had left.

She took in a deep, shuddering breath—blue eyes blurred completely from the mixture of rain, tears, and the storm within that started to drown her.

 _Anna..._

Battle-weary and broken, she let herself yield to the voice that lulled her to sleep so many years ago; years that were filled with laughter and innocence. Years that were nothing more but a reminder of what she had lost. But there was so much at risk. There was so much to lose if she gave into this false hope that everything could be easy and _normal._ She was a monster, and she knew it. A monster with indescribable ice powers that science or logic could not explain—powers that can end life for all eternity. She would never forgive herself, can never live with herself if something were to happen to Anna again.

Elsa turned around, the sight of Anna kneeling knocking the air out of her lungs, her heart shattering and breaking and grinding into small and unrecognizable pieces as she witnessed her sister crying softly while Aunt Cass and Tadashi hovered over her, her hands glued to the ground, those eyes—those perfect ocean eyes—begging, begging, begging Elsa to just stop. Stop running away. Stop doing this. Stop breaking her heart. Stop destroying what little they had left. Elsa swallowed back a sniffle and turned away, ready to run again.

* * *

 _ **You tell me that you love me but you never want to see me again…**_

* * *

Nothing could have prepared Elsa for what happened next. She did not realize that Anna got up and continued to chase after her. She did not see the drunk driver that took a swift turn, careening his car onto Anna's frame. In her desperation to get away, she was a few seconds—a little bit too late in saving her sister. The earsplitting sound of brakes raking into the ground and the echo of Anna's screams silenced the pouring rain as her body flew a few meters away from the impact of her collision with the car. The moment Elsa heard her sister's voice, she turned around and sprinted to the opposite direction, ice already trailing after her footsteps. Hiro, Tadashi and Cass' screams replaced Anna's as they rushed to her side, Cass immediately pulling her phone to call an ambulance. When Elsa spotted her sister, everything within her and around her stilled. Droplets of rain hung in suspension, freezing in place like little bulbs of crystals. There was only blur and a faint hint of a beeping sound ringing in her ears. Her feet, suddenly having a life of their own, made their way to Anna—her precious, darling, perfect sister soaked in her own blood, her eyes closed as she quietly broke free of this painful and lonely and unfair world they lived in. Oh, how Elsa missed those eyes. She collapsed on her knees, reaching out her hand to touch her sister's face for the first time in thirteen years. She ran her trembling fingers across her cheek, careful not to move her and add more injury. And longingly, ever gently, she placed her ear over Anna's blood-soaked chest to listen to her heart.

There was a faint, numbered, and struggling sound of her sister's heart fighting for life.

And then, Elsa lost control. Elsa began to sob hysterically, unaware of Tadashi's strong arms that wrapped themselves around her. Tadashi gasped in _wonder_ when he saw the shards of ice that rose unceremoniously from the ground as he held on to her tightly. He pulled her away from the wreckage while a group of medical personnel rushed to the scene to assess and collect Anna before moving her on a stretcher. But before they can put her away in the ambulance, Elsa broke free of Tadashi's grip and fought her way to reach Anna, her hands depositing frost on the metallic bar of the stretcher.

* * *

 _ **You tell me that you love me but you never want to see me again…**_

* * *

She leaned in on her sister's ear, hoping and begging and praying that she was heard. "Don't leave me, Anna, okay? We're gonna fix this, okay? You said you love me, right? I love you. I love you so much—please don't leave me," she begged desperately, eyes glazed and bloodshot like a frantic, mad woman. "Anna, please?"

Finally, after a few, excruciating minutes, with the adrenaline seeping slowly out of her system, Elsa allowed herself to be restrained and led away by Tadashi as the ambulance left with her sister, Hiro, and Aunt Cass in tow. She knew fully well that being contained in a tight space with her special circumstance would not be the brightest and safest action to take especially with her sister and everyone involved. Tadashi, now fully aware of Elsa's secret, wrapped his arms around her and buried his face on her shoulder, diminishing her fruitless attempts to break free by tightening his embrace even more.

With all of her defenses down, Elsa melted into Tadashi's arms and allowed herself to weep once more while she stared off into the the ambulance that grew smaller and smaller as it drove away into the night.

 _You're okay, Anna. I've got you._


	5. Chapter 5

**Now Playing: _**

* * *

Anna felt…something. She wasn't sure what happened, what she was feeling, what she was thinking. It wasn't pain, it wasn't exhaustion, it was almost like distance—a strange disconnect that she never felt before. She knew she was awake, just very far away and detached from everyone and everything including herself. She wasn't sure how it happened and when it happened.

"What's going on?" She tried to ask, but couldn't feel her mouth moving. Still, her question echoed through her discombobulated mind. It felt like her brain was floating, yet static. Bleary ocean eyes blinked in confusion, trying to adjust themselves to the blinding light hovering over her. But it felt warm, almost welcoming, this enigmatic brightness that seemed to be enveloping the whole room she was currently in.

 _Where am I…_

Everything felt numb around her. She lowered her head and stared at her hands, taking in a sharp intake of breath when she saw how badly bruised and blood-stained they were. But it didn't hurt. She ran a finger to her palm where what would've been a painful and deep gash stared at her without causing any sort of ache or discomfort. Anna pressed her thumb against it, slightly cringing and biting her lower lip as if anticipating a searing pain. But there was nothing. Weird.

The room was basically empty; she was the only one present, sitting upright on a hard and uncomfortable hospital bed. There were only white walls, white sheets, a white and boring pillow, and an extremely luminescent glow that was brooding over the whole room. She stood stark in contrast to the glowing surrounding and plain materials present before her. Still donned in her blue jeans and her grey shirt with Captain America's shield drawn on it, Anna tried to remember what day it was, but for some reason, the concept of time and day had eluded her.

She tilted her head and ran her hand through her hair, frowning when the tip of her fingers refrained from going all the way to the back of her scalp as sticky and matted strands intertwined themselves around her nails. She drew her hand away and averted her gaze to her fingers, confusion suddenly dissipating, giving room for panic to grow when flakes of dried blood attached themselves to her hand.

 _Where the hell am I and what the FUCK happened?_

Once again, she scanned the room, frantically looking for a clock and a calendar to no avail. She tried to stand up, but the increasing bright light above and around her was numbing— her eyes, her face, and her body were numb, even that _voice_ …she couldn't focus on anything until…

"You're okay, Anna. Everything is okay."

Anna's mouth slowly gaped open in surprise. The faint and gentle voice shook her panic away immediately, tearing her away from her shock that it made her pounding heart skip a beat in recognition. Her mind tried to register the sound coming from someone that she had known from her past and maybe even loved with every fiber of her being.

She was sure that this was all a dream, for there was no way that any of this could be real. In a tone that was soothing and commanding as a morning breeze, the voice called out her name again. It was filled with longing and so much love that Anna was moved, causing her to shed a tear without being aware of it. Somewhere in the deepest recesses of Anna's worn out heart, something had awoken from its slumber. Something was reignited and rejuvenated, surpassing all the confusion that was plaguing her. Whatever it was, it had made Anna felt lighter.

Free.

In a tiny and uncertain whisper, Anna uttered the word that she didn't think would come out of her lips again:

"…Papa?"

But freedom, like they say, is only momentary for Anna had started to realize the direness of her situation and the obvious fact that she did not know where she was and how she got there. It was time to wake up.

 _No. No. No. This is just a dream. Anna, snap out of it._

In the duration of her stay in that room, Anna had not noticed nor thought of the door from which she may have entered in. The clarity and sense of consciousness that have evaded her had slowly started to awaken her now frenzied mind, instinct and irrational fear taking over as she jumped out of the bed.

Another voice—another one that she had longed to hear and tried over and over again to rewind and engrave in her head echoed throughout the room, freezing her in place, her eyes widening with a familiar ache and disbelief.

"Anna, jeg har savnet deg så mye…"

It was the very same voice that cradled her to sleep a lifetime ago when monsters under her bed and thunderstorms roaring outside her window terrified her. It was the voice that belonged to a body with strong arms that scooped her up instantaneously the moment she fell off a tree during one of her childhood adventures so many years ago. It came from someone who laughed with her, and comforted her whenever she felt lonely and unsure of herself in her times of distress and doubt.

It was the voice that gave her life.

It was the _voice of_ _the very person_ that _gave_ her life.

The stubborn tears that had prickled Anna's eyes were slowly starting to stream down her face, and she dared to turn around to confront the two people that her heart had been aching for. Kind teal eyes, ones that can light up a whole room with its contagious joy and fervor darkened like ominous and pregnant skies that threatened to flood an entire neighborhood. Her breath hitched, her throat throbbing and dry from its hoarseness produced by her attempt to keep herself composed and free from crying. With all her guard down, and her touch of reality disfigured and nonexistent, Anna found herself face to face with Agdar and Idun Arendelle.

"Papa…Mama?" her voice cracked in between each word, a wave of hesitation and yearning filling her core. "Is that really you?"

Anna took a wobbly step forward, her hand reaching out to her parents who didn't seem like they aged one bit. Agdar looked regal and handsome as always, his pencil mustache neatly trimmed and perched just above the lips that used to pepper Anna's then tiny face with kisses. He stood straight, shoulders relaxed, although within, excitement tainted with melancholy brewed from the crevices of his being.

Her mother's elegance and glamour was timeless. Idun was just as graceful, exhibiting a queenly mien that never ceased to draw Anna's breath in awe. Idun nodded and grinned at her daughter, tempting Anna to leap into her arms in joy.

But all Anna can muster was a sniffle as a dam of pent up emotions was released through tears that flowed freely from her reddened cheeks. She let out a small whimper, causing Idun's ears to perk up—the instinct of a mother ready and steadfast to mend her child's wounds and pain. Agdar stared at Anna with a saddened look on his face for he knew what was to come next. As Anna took another step, their proximity only inches from each other, an invisible barrier halted her and sent her reeling backwards. Confused, Anna hovered her hands over the unseen wall, desperation and a huge question mark marring her features.

"What's happening? Why can't I come near you?" she asked, pounding the transparent barrier that gave nothing but soft _thuds_ with each futile attempt _._ She gave it another try, and another, but nothing was happening and her parents only observed her, not a slight bit rattled by this bizarre occurrence. When Anna exhausted herself from pounding and punching, she looked at her parents questioningly, words escaping her again when she realized that Idun and Agdar did not seem deterred by this wall— by their lack of contact that has been long overdue.

Anna forlornly planted her palm on the unwanted wall, immediately prompting Idun to do the same—their hands were almost touching each other, but not quite. They were so close to each being in each other's arms, but not really. Agdar, with tears in his eyes, placed his hands on his wife's shoulder, a gentle smile splitting his cheeks apart as he reveled in his daughter's beauty. The proud father noted Anna's features: she was no longer short and little, and he was sure he wouldn't be able to carry her on his shoulders anymore if given the chance. The explosion of freckles across her nose was astounding, making her all the more endearing and adorable. Her fiery red hair was no longer disarrayed like a bird's nest, and those pleading eyes—his eyes—that stared at him expectantly were surrounded by light wrinkles that didn't belong there. Anna looked so tired and weary, and Agdar felt the magnitude of these unspoken and hidden scars gnawing at his heart.

 _How long have you been broken, my princess?_ Agdar wondered solemnly.

Idun took in a breath, resting her head against the invisible strip of shield that was separating her and her daughter. Her shoulders trembled against Agdar's touch, and she sobbed quietly, cerulean eyes pressed shut to will the tears away. Tear-streaked and surrendered to the actuality that she was not going to be able to caress her daughter's face and let alone touch a strand of her hair, Idun smiled at Anna—a sad and apologetic smile that mirrored her husband's.

"It's not your time yet, Anna," Idun whispered, forcing a smile. "You have to go back. You need to wake up from this. It's not your time yet, my darling."

Anna blinked back tears. "Mama, what do you mean?" she asked, her fists pounding against the wall with more force and strength. "But I waited for you. You said you were only going away for two weeks, and now you're back. Please don't leave again," Anna begged, each syllable fluctuating in between an unquenchable longing and fear of being left behind again. "I've missed you so much. And Elsa… _Elsa!_ "

The mention and remembrance of that name hit Anna like a speeding train, knocking the wind out of her lungs. Teal orbs doubled in size, a trembling hand shooting up to cover her widened mouth. A myriad of images flashed across her eyes like a movie pressed on rewind, each scene that she had forgotten and missed out on were being replayed in her mind's eye.

Anna turned her eyes back to her bed, the room slowly losing it ethereal brightness as colors and voices and beeping sounds replaced the serenity shared by her and her parents. The scenes of the movie that was her life— _is_ her life— unfolded right before her very eyes. The clock that she was looking for was hanging on the wall above the bed as time started to acquaint itself with her again. Anna walked to the girl confined to the bed: a colder, paler, unmoving version of her that had wires attached to her mouth and nose, surrounded by machines that worked tirelessly to keep her alive and breathing. There was a bandage wrapped around the still girl's head, and Anna unconsciously palpated a soft spot on her own skull, a fresh smear of blood tainting her fingers.

Now it makes sense.

 _A speeding train…._

 _A speeding car…._

 _I was…hit by a speeding car._

Anna's surroundings began to feel more palpable and tangible, no longer a blur that made her feel numb and detached. Her fingers started to tingle, and the haze that anesthetized her senses was longer present. Sitting across her bed, with her figure bent and slouched atop of the mattress where the _other_ Anna rested, Elsa had her eyes closed in restless slumber. The usually tidy and self-conscious blonde resembled the look of a homeless person who had not showered in days. There were bloodstains on her sweater, and her hair was tied back in a disheveled ponytail that she did not bother or care enough for to fix. An untouched tray of food sat on the bedside table next to her, and a blanket draped over her back—courtesy of an equally tired and sleep-deprived Tadashi that sat a few feet away from her near the door, his jaw hanging while he snored in the background.

Anna wondered out loud if Elsa ever left her seat all.

It was strange, seeing her body apart from…her. She inched her way to Elsa and awkwardly waved her hand directly in front of her face. There was no response. Elsa sat still in an almost catatonic state, eyelids screwed shut with dark circles around them.

Agdar's dry chuckle broke through Anna's stupor, causing the redhead to turn her attention back to her parents who were still restrained by the stupid shield that refused to disappear. "She won't be able to see or feel you, my darling," Agdar said quietly. "She can't see any us. She's in another dimension where time and days exist."

Anna was too shocked to have the proper reaction of hysterical screaming and uncontrollable sobbing. This was all too fucked up and weird.

"So does this mean I'm dead, too?" she blurted out pensively without thinking. "I—I mean—like, now that I'm kinda aware that this is not a dream at all, it can only mean that I'm dead because you and me—we, me—this is not possible," she stammered, her hands shooting back and forth to her parents and then back to her in hopes of emphasizing and illustrating her point. "I was there during your funeral, Papa and Mama," she continued on softly. "There's no way I'm alive if I'm right here with you…"

Idun hummed her response. "That is technically true because you're currently in a coma," she agreed, tapping the barrier with a slight frown on her face, blue eyes scrutinizing the foundation of the source of her aggravation, "but you'll wake up from it, my brave one. Those machines are keeping your heart alive and beating. And your sister…your sister won't let you go. She's been begging the King day in and day out without fail to keep you alive. And His Majesty heard her prayers."Anna raised a confused brow. "The King? And—wait what? a coma?"

Idun smiled. "You know…God. And yes, a coma, dear," her mother said like it was the most normal thing in the world.

"But—but—but—" Before Anna can start panicking, Agdar held out placating hands as if anticipating an onslaught of screams and hysterics, mouthing the words, _it'll be okay._ Anna nodded once. Inhaled. Exhaled. "So he does exist? I didn't know Elsa believed in a higher being," she mumbled instead.

Idun nodded. "She does now. And His Majesty is actually waiting for us to come back."

Anna stared at her frail body for a moment and pursed her lip in deep thought. "Can you tell me why He took you away from us?"

Agdar stepped forward and leaned both his hands on the barrier. "It was already our time, Anna. I know it was hard for you and your sister…and it still is…but your mother and I have faith that you two will conquer this pain," his eyes started to water, and Anna ached for she longed to hug her father even for just a split second. She missed him so much. "You only have each other, it's just you and Elsa now. But please know and don't you ever forget that your mother and I love you both so very much. We always have and we always will."

Idun, who took a quick glance at Elsa, suddenly gasped in surprise and she tapped Agdar's shoulder excitedly. "Honey, look, Elsa's opening her eyes!" she exclaimed as if seeing a newborn's—her firstborn's—eyes open for the very first time. Agdar looked on and glued his forehead on the barrier like a kid watching the ice cream truck approach from the confines of his window. Elsa yawned and rubbed her eyes with her fists, her back arching for a quick stretch. She squinted and surveyed her surrounding momentarily, stared at Anna for a bit, and fell back to sleep.

"Oh, my. That's our Elsa? She is so beautiful…that Tadashi boy better take care of her," Agdar murmured. "If he breaks her heart, I swear I will haunt him until he loses his mind." Anna shot Tadashi a warning look, feeling a bit foolish when she realized that she was currently dead and there was no way Tadashi could've seen her.

"Agdar, Elsa looks so much like you," Idun commented incredulously. "I've always thought she would grow up to look just like you and I was right," the doting mother said proudly. A small grin graced Anna's face and she nodded absent-mindedly as the question that needed answers loomed over her head. This has been the closest she's been to Elsa since they were children. Pity that she couldn't even touch her or stroke her cheek, but Anna felt a calming peace just standing next to her sister even though Elsa would never know nor feel her presence.

Anna held out a hand anyway and touched her sister's cheek even though she felt nothing, and her ghost of a hand just passed through pale skin like a fleeting breath.

"Papa, Mama…" she started, hands nervously clasping in front of her, diverting her parents' attention back to her, "Did you know about her…ice powers?"

Agdar nodded dejectedly, his smile switching to a guilt-ridden grimace. "We did. All we wanted was to protect both of you, but your mother and I failed miserably in doing just that. _I_ failed miserably."

When Anna didn't reply, Agdar contined on. "It was mostly my idea. We thought that if Elsa concealed her powers from everyone including you, she would be able to contain it for her own safety and the safety of those around her. But all that did was break her spirits and tear you both apart. Science and logic—none of those could give us the answers that we were looking for," he shook his head, a hand rubbing the back of his neck, "I failed you both as a father and this was the result of that. I'm so sorry, Anna."

Anna was speechless, her mind reeling and her heart beating aggressively against her chest. She searched her father's eyes, slowly and carefully forming the words that were to come out of her mouth. Anna could've yelled or screamed at them, blamed them for her accident, her grief, and her ruined childhood. That was the reasonable response, and Idun and Agdar expected her wrath. Anna could've also asked more questions about the origins of her sister's gift and how they found out. She could've said and asked so much more and reacted more strongly by this newfound revelation of her parents' betrayal—but her next question caught the couple completely off guard.

"So…does this mean that Elsa loves me?" Anna asked timidly while tapping her knuckles together, the tone of her voice shaky yet hopeful. "She did all of this…this whole shutting away and running away thing because…because she wants to protect me? Is that why?"

Agdar nodded. "That's exactly the reason why, Anna. She thought she was a danger to you that's why she did everything to shield you away from her and her powers even if it meant breaking your heart." A somber and tiny smile lifted the corner of Agdar's lips, and Anna mentally agreed with her mother's remark about Elsa resembling his features.

Right there and right then, a sense of peace and an overflow of forgiveness rose from the deepest pits of her heart and Anna, for the first time in forever, felt relieved. Shackles had been broken, the truth came forth even though the consequences and the journey of finding it was daunting and devastating.

She had to die to live again.

And now, knowing the truth and the cost of piecing together the unsolved puzzle that has been more than half of her existence made Anna all the more adamant to fight for her life.

She may not be able to embrace her mom and dad, but if she lived, she could still embrace Elsa and never let her go again.

"She loves you more than anything else in this world, my darling. Return to her. And if Tadashi hurts her, you have to kick his ass," Agdar smirked with a flicker of mischief in his eyes.

In spite of her current and eccentric situation, Anna managed to let out a giggle. "Papa, Tadashi will never hurt her. I'll make sure of it. From what I heard, he worships the ground she walks on," she grinned, remembering Hiro's story about his brother's countless attempts in trying to win Elsa's heart.

"Anna?" Idun placed her hand against the barrier again, palm flat and beckoning Anna to come closer. Anna left her post by Elsa's side and met her mother's hand with her own, longing for her mother's warmth instead of feeling the cold, impenetrable shield in between them. "We have to leave now," Idun choked out the words unwillingly, blue eyes—Elsa's eyes—started to brim with tears. "Promise us you'll keep fighting?"

Anna swallowed hard to suppress the sob that was building up from the back of her throat. "I promise. I'll see you again. Will you wait for me?" she asked earnestly, her insides twisting and throbbing as the familiar sensation of grief reared its ugly head—she felt like she was losing her parents again for the second time. Her father sensed her distress and kissed the spot on the barrier where her forehead rested limply.

Agdar longed to hold his daughter's face. "We will wait for you, there's no rush. Go live your life. Go marry Kristoff and make us grandparents," he glanced at Elsa and smiled fondly, "Go tell your nerd sister to date that boy and help her find beauty in her powers. Go live and live well, my love. I will always love you. I will always be here," he raised a finger and pointed at the left corner of Anna's chest. "Keep fighting. Your mom and I will always cheer you on. Always."

Anna took in a deep, controlled breath and sighed. The tears fell down her face, washing away her pain and her grief as her heart started to heal. She placed a hand over the relentless, stubborn, pounding muscle on her chest and turned her head to Elsa—she was still asleep next to her body, and Anna noticed her sister's pale hand holding on to hers. She smiled and imagined the day when she can finally hold and embrace her best friend…when she's actually _in_ her body and not _out_ of it.

"You'll be fine, Anna," Agdar whispered encouragingly.

Anna remembered him saying that to her once. Her lips quivered while she tried to form a smile that her parents can see for one last time. In a voice that was trembling yet optimistic, downcast yet clear, Anna breathed out the very last words her parents heard her say before their departure from her and Elsa's world.

"See you in two weeks?"

Agdar and Idun mirrored their youngest daughter's face, and with a blink of an eye, they were gone.

* * *

" _Miss Arendelle, you need to leave the room right NOW, you can't be in here!"_

" _I can't leave her—"_

" _Someone page Banner and Porter right now!"_

" _Her pressure's dropping, give me an intubation tray!"_

" _Elsa—your hands—"_

" _GET ME A CRASH CART—"_

" _Why is it so cold in here? Someone turn that AC off—"_

" _Hand me those paddles—"_

" _Elsa, we need to leave—NOW—"_

" _One, two, three, and down!"_

" _Tadashi, get your hands off me! Put me down! Stop it—"_

" _She's flatlining—charge to 300—CLEAR—"_

" _There's ice on the floor—what the hell—watch your steps—"_

" _V-FIB—CLEAR!"_

" _Tadashi, let me go! Anna!"_

" _ANNA!"_

" _We're losing her—"_

" _Doctor…"_

" _No—"_

" _Doctor?—"_

" _Doctor…."_

"… _.time of death—1:31 AM—"_


End file.
